Comparative Cognition

In 1871 Darwin famously wrote that, in his opinion, there was no fundamental difference between man and the higher mammals in their mental faculties. In the past decades this claim has driven much empirical investigation and, by and large, the evidence supports Darwin’s hypothesis. One mental faculty, however, has been particularly difficult to study empirically with little progress being made until recently: the faculty of language.

A primary focus of our research efforts is to explore and understand the biological origins of the different mechanisms required for language and culture. To this end, we mainly study non-human primates in their natural habitats.